Years ago when I was feeding three growing boys I never had trouble using food up before the expiration date. Now that there's fewer people in the house I occasionally find a can that's past. I use it anyway. Never had a problem yet.

the best buy date is usually for optimal taste, it can still be good for awhile to point where it's still healthy to eat.

When I used to work for a grocery store, by the time I left they had started a program where a food bank would come by every couple of days to pick up expired goods. Some stuff like poultry, juice, cut fruit, and a few others were considered too high risk to be donated. Then they had another company come by to pick up basically any kind of scrap of produce to be converted into compost.